BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 1073
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ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 1073 (Torres)
As Amended April 18, 2013
Majority vote
GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION 12-4 UTILITIES & COMMERCE
11-4
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|Ayes:|Hall, Chesbro, Cooley, |Ayes:|Bradford, Bonilla, |
| |Gray, | |Buchanan, Fong, Garcia, |
| |Roger Hern�ndez, | |Gorell, Roger Hern�ndez, |
| |Jones-Sawyer, Levine, | |Quirk, Rendon, Skinner, |
| |Medina, Perea, V. Manuel | |Williams |
| |P�rez, Salas, Torres | | |
| | | | |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
|Nays:|Bigelow, Hagman, Jones, |Nays:|Patterson, Ch�vez, Beth |
| |Waldron | |Gaines, Jones |
| | | | |
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APPROPRIATIONS 12-5
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|Ayes:|Gatto, Bocanegra, | | |
| |Bradford, | | |
| |Ian Calderon, Campos, | | |
| |Eggman, Gomez, Hall, | | |
| |Ammiano, Pan, Quirk, | | |
| |Weber | | |
| | | | |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
|Nays:|Harkey, Bigelow, | | |
| |Donnelly, Linder, Wagner | | |
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Requires the Office of Emergency Services (OES) to develop
a universal insignia, on or before January 1, 2015, that may be
displayed on badges worn by a properly qualified and certified
utility worker or technician that would enable the person to gain
access to a location subject to a disaster or other emergency to
provide vital utility services. Specifically, this bill specifies
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that OES would be responsible for determining the qualification and
certification process that would allow a utility worker or
technician to display the insignia.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Establishes the OES by the Governor's Reorganization Plan No. 2
(GRP 2), operative July 1, 2013.
2)Requires OES to establish by rule and regulation various classes
of disaster service workers and the scope of the duties of each
class.
3)Requires OES to also adopt rules and regulations prescribing the
manner in which disaster service workers of each class are to be
registered.
4)Authorizes OES to establish a statewide registry of private
businesses and nonprofit organizations that are interested in
donating services, goods, labor, equipment, resources or
dispensaries or other facilities for disaster preparedness.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations Committee,
costs associated with OES creating the required insignia would
likely be less than $25,000 from the General Fund.
COMMENTS :
Purpose of the bill : According to the author, Hurricane Sandy was a
reminder of the devastating impact a storm can inflict on vital
utility services. The super storm resulted in power outages of
almost 10 million customers in 21 states and the District of
Columbia. The restoration of the electric power service from
Hurricane Sandy is the biggest single task that the electric utility
industry has ever undertaken, involving almost 70,000 utility
workers in about a two week period.
The author states that utility restoral workers play a critical role
in emergency or disaster response by stabilizing and restoring
critical utility infrastructure and setting conditions for recovery.
Utility restoral workers stabilize and repair electric, petroleum
pipeline, telecommunications, gas and water and/or wastewater
conveyance, distribution and infrastructure to a functional level.
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The author further states that today, in the event of a disaster or
emergency, there is no reliable or standardized method for first
responders (typically police and fire) to identify qualified utility
restoral workers without first contacting a utility provider. The
utility provider in turn must locate and dispatch employees to the
scene of a disaster when response time is critical to saving lives
and property. In times of emergency or disaster, first responders
must be able to quickly identify qualified utility restoral workers
without unnecessary delays. This measure provides utility restoral
workers with a standardized identifier which will enable immediate
access to areas within disaster zones that may otherwise be
restricted to the general public and ensure that critical time is
not lost to stabilize, repair and restore critical utility
infrastructure.
Background : The California Emergency Management Agency (Cal EMA) is
responsible for mitigating the effects of natural, manmade, or
war-caused emergencies which result in conditions of disaster or in
extreme peril to life, property, and the resources of the state.
Cal EMA coordinates overall state agency response to major disasters
in support of local government and assures the state's readiness to
respond to and recover from all emergencies and disasters and for
assisting local governments in their emergency preparedness,
response, recovery, and hazard mitigation efforts. Cal EMA will
become the OES on July 1, 2013, due to the GRP 2.
Arguments in support : The Communications Workers of America state
that there is currently no reliable or standardized method by which
First Responders can identify qualified utility restoral technicians
and personnel without first contacting a utility provider who in
turn must locate and dispatch employees to the scene of a disaster.
In the event of a major disaster, response time is critical to
saving lives and property.
This bill will recreate a system by which First Responders can
quickly identify citizens with the skills and training needed to
help restore vital services in the event of a disaster. This
legislation will re-establish a standardized Civil Defense
Certification emblem, like one previously used widely in California
that can be affixed to a qualified utility employee's identification
card and/or badge.
Analysis Prepared by : Felipe Lopez / G. O. / (916) 319-2531
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